Wringer



0d- 1. 1940- w. L. KAUFFMN, 2D 2216,399

Filed lay 11, 19:58

Patented Oct. 1, 1940 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE WRINGER Walter L. Kauffman, Il, Ez'ie, Pa., assignor to Lovell Manufacturing Company, Eric, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application 'May 11, 1938, Serial No. 207,334

9 Claims.

rected to a Safety mechanism which responds to I a movement of the wringer as a whole so that the instinctive action of a person caught in the rolls 10 may be utilized to effect a safety action. In the invention as illustrated not only is the pressure released but the driving action of the rolls is stopped.

In oarrying out theinventionthewringerispreferably hung on parallel links, the'links being secured at their tops with horizontal pivots so that the wringer as a whole is moved and maintained in position substantially parallel. This manner of suspending the wringer tends to return the 20 wringer to its central position by reason of the fact that the lowest position of the swinging part of the links is reached at the center. A safety action is accomplished by a movement in either direction from this center. Features and details 25 of the invention will appear from the specification and claims.

A preferred embodimenty of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing as follows 30 Fig. 1 shows an elevation partly in section of the wringer, its mounting and driving'mechanism.

Fig. 2 a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. l.

` 35 Fig. 4 a. perspective view showing the arrangement of links. Fig. 5 a perspective view of a trip bracket. Fig. 6 a side elevation showing a reset device in release position. v 40 Fig. 7 an enlarged sectional view of a roll stop device.

marks the base of the wringerframe, 2 the stile remote from the driving mechanism, 3 the stile adjacent to the driving mechanism, 4 the 45 lower roll, 5 the upper roll, 6 the shaft of the lower roll and' 1 the shaft of the upper roll. These parts are, or may be of usual construction. The shaft 6 extends into an opening 8 in a clutch element 9. This element is carried by a bearing 50 block Ill having a tapered bearing surface ll. The element 9 has a tapered bearing surface |2 Operating in the surface ll. A clutch pin l3 extends through the shaft 6 in position to be engaged by jawsv Hi on the element 9. A spring 55 |5 is arranged in the opening 8 and tends to force the element out of engagement with the pin 13. When pressure is placed on the roll this pressure acting through the tapered surfaces camsthe i element into looking engagement with the pin l3. As pressure is released the spring moves the 5 element of engagement. The element has a ball shaped end IB which extends into an opening ll of a fiexible coupling IB. A pin 16a extends from 'the ball end through a slot IB in a tube |8 and 1 thus locks the element with the tube but permits of its endwise movement for movement into and out of engagement with the pin |3. Sliding bearing blocks 20 form journals for the upper shaft 1. A pressure spring 2| rests on these bearing blocks and is adjusted by screw 22 Operating in the top bar 23.

The still 3 has an opening 24 in its inner face forming a shoulder receiving a hook end 25 of a latch 25a. The latch has a slot through which a pin 26 extends lso that the latch has a pivotal v movement and a slight endwise movement to permit its return to set position. The latch is preferably U-shaped having two plates at the sides connected by cross plate 21..' A finger 28 extends i from the cross plate. This latch is similar to a latch shown and described in my former applications #45282 filed October 16, 1935, and #131333, filed March 17, 1937.

A trip rod 29 extends through the end of the top bar and through a bearing plate 30 secured 30 in the top bar. The. trip rod has a return bend 3| the end of which engages the finger 28 and as the trip rod is rotated the return bend is moved. off of the finger thus permitting the latch 25 to disengage itself from the stile.

At the opposite end of the top bar the wringer is provided with a resetting mechanism. This is formed by a lever 3.2 hinged to the top bar at 33.

A link 34 forming a toggle with the lever 32 is pivoted to the lever 32 at 35 and to the stile 2 at 35a. The pivots 33, 35a and 35 are slightly out of line When the leveris in its set position, as shown in Fig. l, so that it is initiaily stable. As' thev top bar is released, however, the pivot 33 is moved sufficiently to change this alignment to an unstable condition so that the resetting mechanismswings to position shown in Fig. 6, allowing the top bar to lift sufficiently to' relieve the pressure and permit opening of the rolls.

The wringer is carried by post 36. A mounting head extension 31 is swiveled on this post in the usual manner and the head 38 is arranged on this extension. The head generally has two side posts on which the wringer is hung. A gear frame 39 has an extension 40 which terminates in a plate 4| which plate is secured to the stile 2. The gear frame and wringer therefore are xed reiatively to each other. A driving gear 42 is`driven from a shaft 43, the gear being journaled in a bearing 6 44 in the gear frame. The shaft 43 is connected by detachable coupling 45 with a shaft 46 which shaft 46 is secured by coupling 41 to a shaft 48. The shaft 48 is carried by a bearing 49 ordinarily secured to a washing machine frame and the shaft is driven through a gear' 50 from any convenient source of power, ordinarily the motor of a washing machine. The shaft 43 extends through an elongated opening 38a in the head 38 so that it may move forward and back withl the wringer, the shaft 46 permitting this movement either through the couplings or the springing of the shaft. Reversing gears 5| are journaled on a shaft 52. The shaft is carried by bearings 53 in the gear frame. The inner end of the shaft 52 has a pin 54 engaging a slot 55 in the tube |8, thus completing through the fiexible coupling the connection'with the drive element 9 and consequently the drive shaft of the wringer. The clutch block is splined on the shaft 52. The clutch block having the usual jaws and annular groove is splined, the jaws on the block engage similar jaws 58' on the faces of the reversing gears. A crank 59 operates in the block groove and is carried by a pin 60. The pin 60 is journaled in a bearing 6| arranged on a cap 62 on the gear frame. An Operating handle 63 is fixed on the upper` end of the shaft 60 by means of which the crank may be moved to throw the clutch block and thus reverse the gearing.

them with the upper part of theL head 38. The lower endsofthese links are pivotally connected at 66 with" the gear frame. Each pair of links is connected by a bar 61 which extends between the upper ends of the link. With this mechanism the wringer is free to move forward and back and is equally sensitive to pressure throughout the length of the wringer. The arrangement of links gives to the wringer a slightly curved path with the lowest point of the path at vthe central position. Thus there is the tendency for the wringer to remain in the central position. Fingers or projections 68 rest oh-springs 69, the springs being mounted on the top plate 62. These springs also tend to center the wringer in that they are equalized at the central position.

'I'he rod 29 has a downward extension 10 which extendsthrough a slot 1| in a trip bracket 12. The. trip bracket is secured to the gear frame preferably by the upper pivot pins of the links at the wringer side of the head. When the wringer ,is moved forward or back the downwardly extended portion 10 is retarded by the trip bracket.

and thus swings 'the rod 29land the return bend 3| so that the return bend releases the latch 25 and thus releases the top bar and the pressure on the rolls. outward extension 13 which is adapted to engage the trip bracket '|2 so as to limit the upward throw of the released end of the wringer if desired.

In the general operation of this structure the wringer is in set or Operating position at its central position. The' gears are locked'though the handle 63 to drive the wringer in the desired direction.. i i,

Should the operator get caught an instinctive pull to withdraw the vfingers moves the wringer and thusmoves the trip rod 29 to release `the ;3 pressure. Immediately the pressure is released Two pairs of links 64 have pivots 65 connecting The lower end of the bend T0 has the the clutch element 9 moves outof engagement with the pins |3 so as to stop the rolls. In resetting the wringer it is simply necessary to force down the latch end of the top so that it is engaged and then draw down the'opposite side'of the top through the toggle resetting mechanism.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, a safety device for the wringer, a gear frame fixed with the wringer frame, and vreversing gear mechanism in the gear frame for driving the rolls; the combination with said wringer frame,`\ rolls, safety device, gear frame and reversing gear mechanism of a mounting head on which the gear frame is mounted and `movable horizontally forward and back, and a communicating means actuating the safetyl device in response to relative movement of the wringer frame and head.

2. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, and a safety device for the wringer; in combination with said wringer frame, rolls and safety device of a supporting means having a movable mounting comprising paralleling swinging links forming a connection betweenv the wringer frame and the support, the pivots of said links having horizontal axes, said connection controlling the movement of the wringer frame through the links from position to position in parallel, and a communicating means actuating the safety device in response to relative movement of the wringer frame and head.

3. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, and a safety device for the wringer; the combination with the wringer frame, rolls and safety device of a supporting i means having a movable mounting for the framecomprising paralleling swinging links hung at the top forming a connection between the frame and the supporting means, the pivots of said linkshaving horizontal axes, said connection controlling the movement of the wringer frame through the links frpm position to position 4in parallel and a communicating means actuating the safety device'in response to the movement of the frame.

4. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, and a safety devicefor the wringer; the combination with /the wringer' frame,. rolls and safety device of a supporting means having a movable mounting for the wringer frame comprising paralleling-swinging links hung at the top forming a connection between the wringer frame and the supporting means, the pivots of said links having horizontal axes, said connection controlling the movement tion to positionin parallel, and a communicating means actuating the safety device in response to either forward or rearward movement of the wringer frame.

5. In a wringer havingga wringer frame, rolls 'xounted in the frame, a pressure device for the rolls, a safety device releasing the pressure device; the combination with the wringer frame, rolls, pressure device and safety device of a su'pporting means having a movable mounting for. the wringer frame comprising paralleling swinging ,links forming a connection between the wringer frame `and the supporting means, the pivots of said links having horizontal axes, said connectionV controlling the movement of the wringer frame through the links from position to position in parallel, and a communicating means actuating the safety device in response to movement of the wringer frame. i

.5| of the wringer frame through the links from pos'll 2,21e,899 v f 6. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, a driving mechanism for the wringer and a Safety device for the wringer comprising mechanism releasing the driving mechanism; the combination with the wringer frame, rolls, driving mechanism and safety device of a supporting means having a movable mounting for the wringer frame comprising paralleling swinging links forming a connection between the frame and the suppo-rting means, the pivots of said links having horizontal axes, said connection controlling the movement of the wringer through the links from position to position in parallel, and a communicating means actuating the safety device in response to the movement of the wringer frame.

7. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, a driving mechanism for the rolls, a pressure device for the rolls, releasing mechanism releasing the pressure on the rolls and the driving mechanism; the combination with the wringer frame, rolls, driving mechanism, pressure device and safety device of a supporting means having a movable mounting for the wringer frame comprising paralleling swinging links forming la connection between the wringer frame and the supporting means, the pivots of the links having horizontal axes, said connection controlling the movement of the wringer through the links from position to position in parallel, and a communicating means actuating the safety device in response to the movement of the wringer frame.

8. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, a safety device for the wringer, reversing gears' for driving the rolls; the

with the gear frame and the links permitting the movement of the wringer frame from one position to another in parallel, and communicating means actuating the safety device in response to relative movement of the frame and head.

9. In a wringer having a wrivnger frame, rolls mounted in the frame, reversing gear mechanism for driving the rolls, said gear mechanism comprising opposed reversing gears having axes paralleling the rolls, a driving gear meshing with the reversing gears, and a clutch mechanism locking either reversing gear with the rolls; the combination with the wringer frame, rolls, reversing gear mechanism, driving gear and clutch mechanism of a mounting head forming a support for the wringer frame, a gear frame mounted on the head through paralleling links, the w'ringer frame being fixed with the gear frame, said links render-' ing the frame movable from one position to another in parallel, and a communicating means actuating the clutch in response to the move- 'ment of the wringer frame.

L. KUFFMAN, II. 

